Steam-engine valve crankshaft bearing support



June 22, 1948. H. G. MUELLER 2,443,692

STEAM ENGINE VALVE CRANKSHAFT BEARING SUPPORT Original Filed- June 8,1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 mhN gum/Mo's Hall/2102257 June 22, 1948. -H.G.MUELLER 2,443,692

I STEAM ENGINE VALVE CRANKSHAFT BEARING SUPPORT Original FiledJune s,1945 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ill/n June 22,1948. H.- G. MUELLER 2,443,692

STEAM ENGINE VALVE CRANKSHAFT BEARING SUPPORT Original Filed June 8.1943 3 Sheets-Sheet.v 3

HG'MueZZef m a {96 gr Patented June 22, 1948 STEAM-ENGINE VALVECRANKSHAFT BEARING SUPPORT Herman Gundert Mueller, Erie, Pa., ass'ignorto Ajax Iron Works, Cory, Pa.

Original application June 8, 1943, Serial No. 490,071. Divided and thisapplication'August 2, 1944, Serial No. 547,782

This invention relates to steam engines and is a division of mycopending application S. N. 490,071, filed June 8, 1943, for Valve gearfor steam engines, and now abandoned.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved bearing assemblyfor a valve gear crankshaft which will facilitate the mounting andaligning of the bearings.

Another object of this invention is to provide in combination with theupper portion of a crankshaft casing an improved bearing support whichwill reduce the amount and character of machine work necessary toprovide for alignment of the valve gear crankshaft.

A further object of this invention is to provide a crankshaft bearingsupport which is constructed in the form of an open boxing having anupper supporting flange whereby the boxing may be dependingly supportedwithin the valve gear crankshaft, the lower side of the boxing havingone or more fiat surfaces parallel with the lower machined side of theupper flange so that the bearings may be secured to the lower machinedsides and all bearings will be in alignment.

With the foregoing objects and other which may hereinafter appear, theinvention consists of the novel construction, combination andarrangement of parts as will be more specifically referred to andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein are shOWn embodimentsof the invention, but it is to be understood that changes, variations,and modifications may be resorted to which fall within the scope of theinvention as claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, partly broken away takensubstantially on the line I-l of Figure 3, of a bearing supportingstructure, constructed according to an embodiment of this invention withthe cylinders and main or lower crankcase removed.

Figure 2 is a detailed top plan, partly broken away, and in section, ofthe bearing support.

Figure 3 is a vertical section-a1 view of a steam engine constructedaccording to an embodiment of this invention.

Referring to the drawings, and first to Figure 3, the numeral 2!]designates generally a cylinder which is supported above a crankcase 2|by means of an intermediate support 235. The intermediate support 235has secured to one side thereof a valve gear housing 4| within which anendwise adjustable valve gear crankshaft 42 is rotatably mounted. Thecrankshaft 42 is connected to a vertically slidable crosshead 32 whichis slidable in a guide 33 by means of a pitman 64. It will be 1 Claim.(Cl. 121194) 2 understood that there may be as many cylinders 25 as maybe desired.

The crankshaft 42 is journalled in bearings 43 which are secured inpairs to bearing supporting members, generally designated as 25!, whichare removable with respect to the crankcase housing 41. The bearingsupporting members 25! are constructed in the form of upwardly openingboxes or housings which are provided at their upper ends with flanges252 overlapping the upper side 253 of the housing 4|, and securedthereto by fastening bolts 254. In this manner, the upper side 253 ofthe housing 4| may be planed off and the lower side of the flange 252together with the lower side of the lower wall 255 of the housing 25|may be planed off to provide for the desired distance between the uppersurface 253 and the lower surface of the lower wall 255. This willpermit the proper alignment of the bearings 43 within the housing 4|without planing or milling the bearing surfaces inside the housing 4|.

As shown in Figure 1, the housings 25! are provided with an upwardlyoffset intermediate wall 255 which is between the lower pair of walls255 so as to provide a minimum surface for planing. The housings orbearing supporting members 25! are inserted into the crankcase fromabove, the flanges 252 seating on the planed surfaces of the upper side253 of the crankcase M and in the event any adjustment is necessary toproperly align the bearings 43, this adjustment may be obtained byinterposing shims between the bearings 43 and the lower walls 255 or oneor more shims between the flange 252 and the upper side 253 of thecrankcase 4|.

The crank supporting structure hereinbefore described has been designedas a fairly heavy duty supporting structure so as to rigidly support thecrankshaft 42, the latter being endwise movable as well as rotatable, asset forth in my copending application supra. The crankshaft 42 isadapted to be shifted endwise by means of a hydraulic operator,generally designated as 251, the details of which are more specificallyset forth in my copending application.

In the mounting of the bearing supporting housings 25I, the lower sideof the flange 252 may be planed off to provide a flat surface on thelower side and the outer or lower side of the wall 255 may also beplaned flat. The upper side of the wall 253 of the crankcase 4| may beplaned flat and the housings 25l may then be inserted in the openingsprovided therefor and designated by the numeral 258. The housings aresecured in position by means of fastening bolts 254, and the bearings 43are bolted by fastening members 259 to the lower side of the lower walls255. Inasmuch as the upper surface of the upper wall 253 is planed fiat,it is not diflicult to plane the surface of the flanges 252 and thewalls 255 so that the planed surfaces will be the desired distance apartfor positioning the bearings 43 in accurate alignment. This manner ofmachining the crankcase and the bearing supporting members eliminatesmilling or other intricate machine operations, and provides for theproduction of the engine with which the bearing supports are combined ata considerably reduced cost.

These bearing supporting members have been means dependingly carried bysaid housing and extending downwardly through said openings forsupporting said bearings, said means comprising a box-shaped member openat the top thereof, outwardly extending flanges carried by the upper endof said latter named member and having lower surfaces engageable on saidupper surface of said top wall, a bottom wall carried by said memberhaving the lower surface thereof parallel with the lower surfaces ofsaid flanges, said bearings being secured to and depending from saidbottom wall.

HERMAN GUNDERT MUELLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 20 Number Name Date 727,752 Crompton May 12, 1903864,049 Turner Aug. 20, 1907 1,334,010 Badger Mar, 16, 1920 1,622,687Szekely Mar. 29, 1927 25 1,677,375 Tapley July 17, 1928 2,081,543 KdhlerMay 25, 1937 2,295,962 Mueller Sept. 15, 1942

